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NAJA National Championship

36 holes wasn’t quite enough to decide the boys 14-19 division, as 3 players finished with a total score of 146 (+2). Matt Marrese, from Bellevue WA Sean Kato, of Redmond WA and Sam Pyon who resides in Happy Valley OR stepped up to the first tee a final time to battle for 1st . Sam played the well scoring par on the first hole, but his opponents stuck it close and made birdie. Matt and Sean would continue that battle for three more holes before a victor emerged. Sean pulled his approach and left a slippery downhill putt for birdie. The putt ran long, and the door opened for Matt. Matt rolled his 15 footer into the heart of the cup to make birdie, and win the tournament. Matt was tied for 6th after the first round, posted 3 birdies on his final round in order to earn his spot in the playoff. With this win, Matt earned a spot both the Tournament of Champions and The North American Junior Armature Championship, as well as AJGA PBE status. Sean and Sam also qualified for the Tournament of Champions with their second and third place finish.

Taylor Hartley and Reilly Whitlock are high school teammates in Vancouver WA. They had an exciting back-and-forth battle in the girls 15-19 division. Playing side by side, Taylor possessed a 1-stroke lead going into the day. By the end of the front nine, consistency earned Taylor a 4-stroke lead overall, but there was still much golf to play. 1 stroke was all that separated the girls going into hole 18, with Taylor still holding the lead. The pressure was high for Reilly, but that didn’t stop her from rolling in a birdie. The 36th hole didn’t go quite the same way for Taylor. She ended with a boogey, making Reilly our winner. Local player Serena Lee took 3rd.